Bing & Google Rockin' Real-Time, Baby!

When Bing filed for a trademark earlier this year, it appeared that 'local search' was in its cross-hairs. Now it has set it sights on 'real-time search' as well. And not to be outdone, the ubiquitous Google followed suit. Rocking real-time, baby is something both of these search engines needed to stay relevant in today's search engine arena.

This move is significant for a couple of reasons. For one, when Twitter's tweets and Facebook's status updates becomes part of a SERP (search engine result page), non-Twitter users will now have access to searches that include these conversations. Heretofore, only those on Twitter would have been able to view these types of searches.

Passed-on linksSecondly, from a Web site owner's perspective, "passed-on" links used in many tweets and status updates are going to add to the number of the links connecting to any one site. With each new incoming link (considered an authoritative vote) for a Web site, the greater the opportunity for that Web site to move up on a search page for certain "keywords." For example, if "Chicago Hotel" are keywords for the James Chicago, the number of times "Chicago Hotel" and its accompanied link appear in a tweet or an update, the more these searches will improve the James Chicago's ranking on the search engines. This could mean virtually moving a web site... say, from page 10 to page 1, dependent on the number of real-time searches that list the same keywords and the same links together.

For Social Media tools like Flip.to that motivates evangelists to use the social networking sites of Twitter and Facebook to communicate their message, more tweets and status updates will be generated. The more people tweet and add status updates through a service like Flip.to, the easier it becomes to grow links that will show up in real-time on Bing and Google. As a result, real-time search becomes a new layer of search engine optimization for a Web site, and an added means to attract additional visitors to a Web site. (please see my previous blog, "Flip.to, Social Media Tool Creates Evangelists, Buzz & Sales," )

Unlike Twitter's own search engine, Bing.com will assign value to tweets to surface those with the most informational value. And I am sure from a "keyword bidding" standpoint, increased value means more dollars required to purchase certain keywords in a PPC (pay per click) ad campaign. I'm also assuming Google will add this formula similarly to its algorithm as well.

According to AdAge, Microsoft also said that Bing would soon integrate Facebook updates, but only those made public by their users. Twitter updates, unless locked by the user, are presumed to be public. This is important for Twitter users to comprehend. Once tweeted, your words become part of the public record, which has given import to the new slogan, "loose tweets, sink fleets."

While speculation has surfaced that this may be Twitter's initial foray into monetizing a first-time revenue model for the microblogging platform, CEO Ev Williams was quick to point out in a NY Times, article that "revenue was not the focus of the deals" with the two search engines. The Twitter eschelon does not feel pressured to capitalize on a revenue stream just yet, and with another round of funding to the tune of $100 million it doesn't look like that strategy will change any time soon.

Initially Bing users interested in searching Twitter will use a separate service, at bing.com/twitter. But eventually Microsoft plans to fully integrate Twitter posts into its main search results.

Marissa Mayer, VP GoogleAccording to a NY Times report, Marissa Mayer, Google's VP for search and user experience said that access to real-time data would "improve our relevance, our comprehensiveness and our quality."

So rockin' real-time allows Google and Bing to finally lasso that illusive tiger that was kept out their grip for so long. With real-time search tamed - at least for the time-being - now you might see more movement towards the development of Web 3.0. Nothing lasts forever, folks... as a wise old Buddhist monk, once told me!

Hi Ron.
Nice article - it will be interesting to see how SEOs adapt to the changes in impact that real time search has on SERPs and factor social media presence into the optimisation process. With other recent Google announcements (such as PageRank on the wane and meta keywords effectively redundant) it's the next chapter in the online optimisation book.
Thanks
james